January 21, 2007

According to Variety, NBC Universal is set to launch a new digital cable network (a cabler, in Variety-speak) devoted to horror-themed programming. Dubbed Chiller, the new channel will be headed by Dan Harrison (who also oversees the Sleuth mystery channel) and will feature such properties as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Tales From The Crypt, The Shining, and Psycho.

I like the name. A “chiller” is of course to horror what a “thriller” is to action-suspense; they’re both good old-fashioned Hollywood slang for the thrills and chills genres. It’s nice to see the networks finally moving away from the descriptive (CNN, TNN, The Movie Channel, The History Channel, and so on) and towards the evocative (Spike, Sleuth, etc.); evocative names usually make for much stronger brands. LINK

I missed The Boston Globe round-up of the best movie titles ever.  If you did too, they chose:

• Snakes on a Plane (2006)
• The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? (1964)
• Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)
• Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)
• Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
• Surf Nazis Must Die (1987)
• To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
• Rat Pfink a Boo Boo (1966)
• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
• Invasion U.S.A. (1985)

I think by and large they’re confusing Most Unusual with Best, but I admire the effort! LINK

While we’re on the subject of movie titles, Variety has a short piece (subtitled Unoriginal Sins) on the striking similarities among the names of many of this year’s Oscar contenders. Citing such sets as The Good Shepherd, The Good German, and A Good Year, the author concludes:

This won’t come as a big shock to most here, but it seems like the titles of theatrical releases have been focus-grouped to the point of insanity — and the only variety in the room is the publication you’re reading right now.

He exaggerates, but there’s still nothing like an original, evocative title to draw an audience in. I especially like his suggested name for the sequel to Denzel Washington’s Deja Vu — Deja  Vu 2: Deja Vu! LINK